Infant Revived After 911 Dispatcher Talks Father Through CPR
ELMWOOD PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- A dramatic 911 call and a cool-headed emergency dispatcher saved the life of four-week old baby girl, who had stopped breathing while her dad was changing her diaper.
The dad, Brent Patterson, was desperate to get help and his little girl almost died in his hands—when Amelia Patterson suddenly turned pale and stopped breathing.
Patterson's wife called 911 and frantically pleaded with the dispatcher: "My baby's not being responsive!"
Nick Risicato, 23, the dispatcher who took their call, said his training in various emergency scenarios immediately took over.
He can be heard on the audio tape instructing the couple on how to perform CPR.
"I am going to tell you how to give mouth to mouth, OK?" Risicato said.
Brent Patterson followed Risicato's instructions until paramedics arrived.
"Don't give up until the paramedics get there," Risicato said on the tape.
That all happened last Sunday at the family's home in Elmwood Park at about 3 p.m.
It took paramedics about three minutes to get to the home.
All the while, the dispatcher coached the dad through baby CPR.
Amelia was eventually taken to Loyola University Medical Center.
The baby is now being treated at a hospital, and her father thanked everyone involved with saving her.
"We're grateful for the quick response time and the things that have been done," he told the Chicago Sun-Times Media Wire. "My daughter nearly died."
Still, Amelia isn't out of the woods yet — she had to have an operation the day after she stopped breathing.
"We're dealing with a very difficult situation and we hope it works out for the best," Patterson said. "We have a long way to go."
